Dubai: Angelique Kerber says losing her World No.1 spot after a slow start to the season is no big deal, as she knows how to get back into winning rhythm ahead of this week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
The 29-year-old German overtook America’s Serena Williams in the rankings after winning three of her eight finals last season, which included the Australian Open and US Open, the first two Grand Slam triumphs of her career.
However, she lost that mantle at last month’s Australian Open after a fourth round defeat to America’s Coco Vandeweghe in Melbourne, which enabled Serena Williams to reclaim the top spot with her 23rd Grand Slam singles title.
“It’s no big deal, I’m still doing the same, it’s just important for me to play my tennis and find my rhythm again,” said Kerber.
“I was not playing my best when I lost in the fourth round in Melbourne but I learnt from this trip and had many new experiences. I will try to take positives into the next tournaments so that it becomes a learning curve for me.”
She comes into Dubai, where her best finish in five appearances is two last 16 finishes in 2013 and 2015, with one quarter-final finish in Brisbane followed by three last 16s in Sydney, Melbourne and Doha.
“It’s maybe not the best start I was wishing for but it’s also not too big a drama. I still have the same team around me and I know how to get back I think, it is just about playing and winning matches again.
“I’m practicing really well, so I think it’s just case of transferring that into matches. I think it’s just a case of one or two matches before it changes because I’m really feeling good.
“I will give my best to win a lot of matches and then we will see if I can get back to No.1. There’s still a long way to go, it’s still only February, and I’m excited about what’s ahead. But my first goal is to get back on court and play consistently good tennis again.”
Kerber added that she wouldn’t let the world No.1 tag hang over her.
“I wasn’t thinking last year about getting to world No.1, I was just thinking about my next opponent and my next match, that’s always what I am thinking, to be in the moment, and then whatever happens, happens. It’s not like the world No.1 spot is always in my mind.”
She also said that becoming world No.1 had taken a bit of getting used to.
“First of all, I have yet to get used to everything that is happening around me and all the new challenges.
“I have yet to get used to it because, of course, it’s a new challenge and a new experience, as I’m doing more things in my daily schedule that are a little different to say a few months ago.”
Kerber has a bye in the first round in Dubai and will play the winner of Jelena Jankovic and Mona Barthel in the second round.
